Call for Submissions: Dirge to Harmattan (The Green We Left Behind Poetry Contest)
Arts Lounge Literary Magazine invites Nigerian poets to submit entries for Dirge to Harmattan, a national poetry contest under The Green We Left Behind initiative.
Dirge to Harmattan calls for poems that mourn the gradual disappearance of harmattan due to climate change. Submissions should reflect on what harmattan once meant—its cold mornings, dusty skies, and cultural memory—and contrast this with what has been lost, altered, or replaced. Poems may grieve, remember, question, or bear witness, but they should remain rooted in ecological consciousness and lived experience.
Submission Window
January 9 – February 15
Prize
• ₦150,000 for the winning poem
• Two Honorary Mentions
All shortlisted poems will be published as part of Arts Lounge’s Climate Change Poetry Series.
Submission Guidelines
- Submit one original, previously unpublished poem.
- All submissions are subject to AI-detection checks. Poems written by or polished with AI tools will be automatically disqualified.
- Poems must not exceed 20 lines.
- Poems should be well edited, single-spaced, and typed in Times New Roman.
- The poet’s name must not appear on the poem document.
- Each submission must include a cover letter stating the poet’s name, state of residence, and a brief biography.
- Send entries to artsloungenyc@gmail.com with the subject line: Dirge to Harmattan.
- All questions and inquiries should be directed to the same email address.
- By submitting, poets grant consent for their work to be published should it be shortlisted.
This contest is presented by Arts Lounge Literary Magazine as part of its ongoing commitment to climate consciousness, environmental memory, and African literary expression.
We look forward to reading your elegies, laments, and testimonies.
